


White Knight

by lilacSkye



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Coping, Grieving, Jaune is not okay, Qrow has adopted the whole RNJR+W team and no one is going to convince me otherwise, So much angst, Training Sessions, it's sort of a catalyst, whiterose is there but it's background, written in a single go while feeling very angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 05:11:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10847148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilacSkye/pseuds/lilacSkye
Summary: Weiss reaches team RNJR at Mistral. Jaune thinks too much and ends up training with Qrow. Kind of an alternate version of Weißer Ritter from Jaune's POV





	White Knight

**Author's Note:**

> I swear this is going to be the last fic I'll write for a while. I was feeling angsty and couldn't help but just get it out, and what better way to channel it through Jaune? XD

There wasn't a day he didn't think of her, even though he had learned to conceal his inner turmoil to the rest of the team, to keep a facade that allowed them - him - not to shatter for good.  
  
It seemed to work, although Jaune had seen his team-mates throwing him a worried glance when they thought he wouldn't see them, whenever he happened to relapse particularly badly and he walked away from where they made camp, needing some time on his own to work through it. However, they never mentioned anything about it, and he was grateful for that.  
  
He would stay a bit away, pulling out his scroll and placing it on whatever support he could find. Then he would grab Crocea Mors and listen again and again to the fifteen minutes of Pyrrha's life he still held, cursing his stupidity over and over with each swing of his sword. He thought they had a whole life-time in front of them; he didn't consider that said life-time would be over so soon.  
  
"I'm proud of you." The Pyrrha in his scroll would say when the tiny dot beneath the video reached the 14:20 time mark, beaming at him from behind the screen, blissfully unaware that those would be the last words she'd say in her fifteen-minutes long slice of life. He would feel his throat constrict at that, and would have to try really hard not to grab his scroll and yell that no, she wasn't supposed to be, she had to loathe him, hate him, haunt him for the rest of his life.  
  
But then the video would pause, stuck on Pyrrha's smile and eyes that shone brighter than the purest emerald, and all his fury would fade, replaced by a sense of deep loss that swallowed him whole from within. He would fall to his knees and hold her close to his heart, and more often than not Ren would find him like that an hour later, when he'd wake up to take up the night shift. The other boy would place a hand on his shoulder, and all the pain would disappear, letting exhaustion finally take over Jaune and plunge him into a dreamless sleep.  
  
Now that they were staying in Mistral, things hadn't changed too much. Ren and Nora had finally took a step further in their relationship after the fight with that centaur-like Grimm, and neither he or Ruby wanted to meddle in more than they needed to. So they agreed to spend most of their time training together, with Ren and Nora joining in later, after they were done with their own training.  
  
Ruby proved to be amazing company: her drive was so strong that even knowing this Salem's minions were after her didn't manage to make her back down from her goal, and, on the other hand, only spurred her to become better and better. Jaune was impressed at the younger girl's resolve and more or less knowingly followed her lead, thinking she really made a great leader, to the point that it had been days since he last practiced with Pyrrha.  
  
But that didn't mean she wasn't on the forefront of his mind at any time of day and night: he would startle everytime he caught sight of long, red hair walking around Mistral's crowded venues, and he would chase after her, ignoring Ruby as she called him back, until he got close enough to see that indeed it wasn't Pyrrha. He would stop right there, in the middle of the sidewalk, at a loss, as people kept flowing past him, occasionally shoving him away from their way, but he barely noticed when they did, focused as he was on the red head ahead of him that wasn't Pyrrha.  
  
Only Ruby's tiny, warm hand wrapping around his one, larger and colder, prevented him from falling to his knees and scream until his throat went sore.  
  
"Jaune. Let's go back home."  
  
He would nod, not trusting himself enough to talk without break down, and follow her as she delicately pulled him back to safety, back to the inn, and he held her hand tight like he would hold onto a lifeline. If he ever hurt her hand in his despair, she never let it show on her face.  
  


* * *

  
  
Jaune didn't know what to feel when he saw Weiss standing in front of them in the inn's lobby.  
  
She was not simply pretty, she was gorgeous. Her new dress really brought out her hair and eyes, and those eyes, dear gods, were anything but cold as a whirpool of emotions lit them up when they landed on Ruby.  
  
A glance to the side confirmed that Weiss wasn't the only one that was going through an emotional storm.  
  
The two girls hugged and cried quietly, and Jaune was perplexed when he caught sight of Ruby's eyes, shining with tears; Ruby, who was determined to stay strong for the sake of others, who would never let the rest of the team see when she was feeling down or overwhelmed and did her damnest to keep a bright smile in any situation, was crying in Weiss' arms, which enveloped Ruby in a tight, protective embrace, shielding her from the rest of the world.  
  
Jaune blushed heavily as he realized he was witnessing an incredibly personal and intimate moment between the two girls, and that it wasn't fair for them to have it right now under everyone's eyes. He steeled himself and cleared his throat, calling back the two young women back to the present.  
  
Their flushed faces when they let go of each other only confirmed the suspicions Ren and Nora had about Ruby and Weiss' relationship, back when they were to school and the girl you were crushing on having another was the greatest problem they had. So much had changed in so little time.  
  
Weiss politely greeted him back. She was ridiculously beautiful. And yet, he felt none of that attraction that he was sure it was love back at school. No desire to impress her, or make her laugh, or just have her notice he was a thing that existed, even though she was looking at him right now, intently as she never was before.  
  
He felt so foolish as he thought back to his old self, so ready to make an idiot out of himself for her attention, and briefly wondered if that didn't play a relevant part in her outright refusals. He really couldn't blame her, as of now.  
  
She was just Weiss, a dear friend who had fought with everything she had to come back to her friends and take part in the battle, leaving a comfortable life behind. He had nothing but respect for her.  
  
Of course he let them have the room for themselves. They had a lot to sort through and he wasn't going to stand in their way, not again. The exchange of looks between them as they made their way to the room Ruby and Jaune shared was enough proof of that.  
  
So he went back to Nora and Ren's room, who graciously accepted him. Ren even dared to try to give Jaune his bed, but Jaune pointedly refused and laid his sleeping bag on the floor, slipping in before Ren could insist any further. He heard Nora snicker loudly from her bed.  
  
"Do you guys think we're gonna hear it when they get to do the do? I mean, these walls are pretty thin."  
  
"Nora!!" Both guys exclaimed, clutching their ears and shaking their heads as if it could be enough to shove away the terrible image that Nora's words had evoked in their head. Nothing wrong with that, but the idea of his two friends... no, he didn't really want to dwell on that.  
  
"You're unbelievable, Nora." Ren crossed his arms, looking sternly and yet fondly - Jaune wondered how that was even possible - at his partner. "Just go to bed already."  
  
"Aye, captain." She saluted and burrowed further beneath the covers as Ren turned off the lights and went back to his own bed.  
  
The two partners slipped into a peaceful rest pretty quickly, but Jaune found himself unable to just fall asleep. Maybe he had gotten too used to Ruby's soothing presence at his side, like a charm that chased away the bad dreams, maybe it was the thought that Ren and Nora were holding hands, or maybe Ruby and Weiss cuddling together in the other room. A wave of loneliness and longing hit him square in the chest.  
  
As quietly as he could he sat up and rummaged through his backpack that he was using as makeshift pillow, searching until his fingers found a thin cable. He pulled the earphones out and plugged them into his scroll.  
  
He finally fell asleep, an hour later, to the voice of the one person that he wished was here right now telling him she was proud of him.  
  


* * *

  
  
Things kinda changed since Weiss joined the group, and yet also stayed the same. Ruby's uncle had recovered enough and went ahead to find this professor Lionheart and try to discover more about Cinder and her pals, while Jaune and the two girls would hang out and train some more, along with Nora and Ren, and more than once it was him against Weiss, since they both used swords as weapon of choices.  
  
He had improved, but he still was no match for her, not when she was so incredibly quick on her feet and supported her lack of brute strength behind her blows with her versatile glyphs. Ruby cheered for both of them on the sidelines, but he could tell she was partial to Weiss. And who wouldn't, after all.  
  
He tried to confide in Ren his thoughts about his lack of skill, but Ren had told him not to worry, he could see Jaune improving immensely day after day. As uplifting his friend's words were, Jaune couldn't help but feel like Ren was just trying to comfort him. Like when Pyrrha said the same thing, on the roof, and it ended up being a lie to make him feel better.  
  
In the next few days he worked out a routine of his own: he would spend the day training with the rest of the team, and when night fell he would slip out of bed, careful not to wake up his room-mates on his way, and then he'd go to a nearby abandoned playground he had found while wandering around, pull out his scroll, open up Pyrrha's video and do some more drills. It was exhausting and his muscles burned, screamed in pain, but at the same time it felt oddly satisfying. Maybe that was what Yang meant when she once tried to explain how her Semblance worked.  
  
"You look like shit, kiddo."  
  
Jaune started so heavily that Crocea Mors slipped out of his grasp and fell to the ground with a deafening clatter. Heart pounding in his throat, he lifted his eyes to the nearby tree where the raspy voice had come from, and indeed Ruby's uncle was sitting on a solid looking branch, his back leaning against the trunk, apparently very comfortable.  
  
He glared at the older man and he crouched down to and picked up his weapon. Qrow laughed and jumped down the tree, landing neatly on his feet.  
  
"Seriously, what's up with you kids, nowadays? I swear, everytime I turn my eyes away one of you slips out of bed. You're all stressing me out."  
  
"Shouldn't you check on your niece?" Jaune hissed as he reached for his scroll, paused the video and pocketed the device. He didn't want this man, one of those people that had forced Pyrrha to make a choice that ended up costing her life, to lay his eyes on her. Not again.  
  
The insufferable man ignored the obvious hostility and shrugged. "Oh, she's fine. And so she'll be, as long as she keeps the Ice Princess to her side. And since the two seems to be glued by the hip, I really have no reason to worry too much."  
  
There was a certain carelessness in his voice that really ticked Jaune off. So he was leaving Ruby up to Weiss, huh? Another seventeen-years-old girl that could be burdened with a task too big for her and would most likely die trying to fulfill it. Another pawn to be sacrificed.  
  
Jaune gritted his teeth as his grip on the sword's hilt tightened so much that Crocea Mors trembled.  
  
"You, on the other hand," Qrow went on, eyeing him intently, "are definitely not alright."  
  
"No shit, genius."  
  
Qrow heaved a deep sigh, the slightest hint of frustration glinting in his eyes. It was clear that neither of them wanted to have this discussion now, so Jaune really wondered what hell the man wanted from him.  
  
"Look, kid," Qrow began, carding his hand through his prematurely greying hair, tousling it even further. "I know we didn't start well, and honestly? I can't really blame you. I would have been just as pissed as you in your situation, maybe even more."  
  
Jaune kept quiet, not even deigning the other man of a glance. He held Crocea Mors tightly, his eyes tracing the Milo's parts that had been expertly added to the sword. He was reminded of when Weiss brought the broken weapon - a weapon that was invincible, could do anything and do it well, like its owner - back to him. Weiss had been barely holding back tears when she held the weapon and the circlet to him, whispering apology after apology. It was the first time he'd seen Weiss' self control crumble and she revealed herself for what she really was: just a teenage girl thrown into a battle that was way bigger than her. Like Pyrrha.  
  
"You used her. You used her good faith and kind nature for your own goals." He snarled. "And you plan to use Ruby too, now that Pyrrha failed. And Weiss. All of us. We're nothing but weapons to you all!"  
  
He hadn't realized he had been rising his voice until it almost broke into a loud sob on the last word, but he swallowed heavily and blinked away the tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He refused to cry in front of this scum, who lowered his eyes and crossed his arms, head tilted to the side.  
  
"I wouldn't say we used her, or you lot. As I said, she was given a choice, and she chose. But the real question is, what is your choice?" His voice turned sharp and cold, positively chilling. "Why are you here?"  
  
Jaune hesitated, the words echoing through his tired brain. He had asked himself the same question, over and over, every night since he decided to team up with Ruby and travel to Mistral. Why was he here? Why was he helping the people that condemned the person he loved the most - tragic realization that had come just a little too late - to a death she didn't deserve?  
  
"Revenge," he said, but the word came out without any bite as his mind decided to wander back to Ruby and Weiss, the picture of pure bliss when they finally reunited, or Nora and Ren, holding hands as they slept side by side. How could he just walk out on them now? "And... to protect my friends. This time," he swallowed again, "for real."  
  
Qrow shrugged again and smirked. "Then we really should get started."  
  
He walked past the now confused boy and came to a stop a few feet away, his tattered cape billowing ever so slightly in the chilly breeze. He unsheathed his large sword.  
  
"Well?" Qrow taunted him, beckoning Jaune to come closer, "thought you wished nothing more than kicking my ass? I'm giving you the chance to, kiddo."  
  
Everything about this screamed bad idea. Still, he knew he had a long way to go before he'd be able to stand on his own, and this man, as hateful he was, was taking him under his wing. Since both of them used swords, it was potentially ideal.  
  
He gripped tightly Crocea Mors with both hands and lunged at the man, who brought his weapon in front of him and parred like it was the easiest thing in the world. With a swift movement, he threw Jaune to the side, who fell on his back with a pained grunt.  
  
"Gotta try harder than that, kiddo."  
  
"Shut the fuck up! And I'm not a kid!!"  
  
"Then show me how much of a man you are."  
  
Jaune didn't need to be told twice: he unsheathed the sword and unfolded the shield. He feinted an attack on the left and instead used his right foot as pivot to spin and use his shield to stop the incoming blow and shove away Qrow's weapon, leaving his chest open to an attack.  
  
But before his sword came any close to the other man, Qrow had taken a step to the side and kneeled him right in the stomach, sending Jaune flying back, coughing and sputtering.  
  
"That wasn't too bad of an idea, you know." Qrow complimented him as he walked up to Jaune as offered a hand for him to grab. Jaune glared at him and refused the help, slowly getting back on his feet on his own. Qrow raised an eyebrow at his stubborness but otherwise didn't comment on it. "But you were sloppy in the execution. You were too unbalanced and lost your footing as soon as you missed the blow. I barely put any strength in that kick."  
  
Jaune spat at the side, still winded, but determined to show this guy what hw was made of. "Again."  
  
Qrow smirked. "Again."  
  


* * *

  
  
It had become an actual course, as of now, like the ones Jaune had never attended before getting into Beacon. Every two nights, the two men would exchange blows, and Qrow would always destroy Jaune's ass and make comments on his mistakes and what he had to do to correct them. Jaune hated to be so dependant on the man, but he had to admit he had shown incredible patience as he taught Jaune the basis of combat, repeating what Pyrrha had already told him, and suggesting a few ways to personalize his fighting style to make it less predictable. It was only on the fourth night of training that he learned Qrow was actually a teacher - or "had been" as Qrow said - at Signal, along with Ruby and Yang's father, his long time pal.  
  
"God, please don't tell Ruby or Yang about this," he groaned as they took a break from sparring, taking a huge swig out of his flask. How could he be so good at fighting when he drank like a sponge was beyond Jaune's understanding. "They'll tell Tai and then he would make fun of me for the rest of our days. No thanks."  
  
Jaune thought it would make for a pretty interesting outcome, but ultimately chose to listen to his plea, this time around. He remembered the man mentioning Tai's name when he was hallucinating from the poison. So that's who he was talking about. He wondered how Ruby had felt about it.  
  
"So you were the one who taught Ruby everything she knows, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, although there's just so much someone can teach you. If you want to survive, out there, you'll have to create your own style, and follow your own path." He glanced down at Jaune's shield, eyes somewhat softening as he looked at the golden emblem engraved on the white metal. "Although you seem to have that figured out already."  
  
"Yeah, I think I do."  
  
There was a heavy pause in which Qrow stared in front of him, at nothing in particular, reminiscing of something that clearly wasn't exacty a nice train of thought. "Yeah, the reason you decide to follow this path for is important. As is rest," he added as he stood up and yet again lent a hand to Jaune, who this time took it, albeit kinda begrudgingly.  
  
"Isn't it still pretty early?"  
  
"Tomorrow we're leaving. Gotta delve a little deeper, since our friend Lionheart couldn't give us a singe clue about Cinder or the other Maidens." Qrow frowned, "figures. That would have been too lucky."  
  
Cinder. The thought of the accursed woman was enough to set his blood on fire at the mere mention of her name. He didn't know what he'd give to be able to return what she had done to Pyrrha in kind, over and over again.  
  
"One more," Jaune asked, voice strained by the hatred he felt for the woman. Qrow made to protest, but he stopped when Jaune fell on his knees.  
  
"One more," he repeated, this time more pleadingly, clutching tightly Crocea Mors to his chest. "Please."  
  
Qrow sighed, clearly tired but apparently willing to humor him and give it another go. "Would you look at that, I turned you into a model student. They should give me a prize or something. Fine" he picked up his sword again. "One more."  
  


* * *

  
  
Oscar gave him a weird look, as if he was extremely amused by something and at the same time terrified to voice out his thoughts. Qrow scowled and took a drink of his whiskey. He wasn't drunk enough to deal with all these kids flocking around, seriously. Not to mention Oscar should be in bed as well, but of course, having an old ass wizard in your head kinda allowed him to escape being subjected the curfew.  
  
"Oh come on, just bring out the snark already."  
  
Oscar hesitated, but the corners of his mouth twitched. "He... he says that 'and you always claimed you were bad with children. You're turning into a Mother Hen.'"  
  
Qrow rolled his eyes, he was expecting that joke sooner or later. "Like hell I am."  
  
"'You are, and you know it.' He also says that 'wait until Taiyang knows this.'"  
  
"Don't you dare." Qrow didn't want to imagine the massive teasing that would come if Tai came to know he had basically adopted four more kids along the way. He had already had enough with Ruby and Yang, with Tai claiming they were basically two dads in their own right.  
  
"'What do you think of him?'"  
  
Qrow looked up to the ceiling, knowing that the boy in question was sleeping in his room on the first floor. "He's got potential. He's still kinda rough around the edges but he's got a good brain, and one hell of a motivation."  
  
Oscar's face fell, probably after Ozpin unwillingly showed him the last he saw of Pyrrha Nikos, in the vault. "ah, uhm, 'Yes, indeed, sorrow can be quite a pressing force on someone who had never truly faced the loss of someone dear as he was. Wasn't it the same for you and Tai?'"  
"Cut it," Qrow growled. "He can get good, but he has still a lot to work on. Blind revenge is not going to bring him far. But I can see why you kept him even if it was obvious he had cheated his way in. He's incredibly stubborn."  
  
"'Reminds me of James in some way.'"  
  
"Let's just hope he doesn't screw up as badly as Jimmy did then."  
  
"'He won't,'" Oscar-Oz spoke confidently, "'I have faith in the boy. As long as he doesn't let his pain stray his path into the darkness, he'll be a valuable asset.'"  
  
Qrow grimaced at Oz's rather peculiar choice of words. As much as he knew Oz fought for a right cause, sometimes this exceedingly scheming side of him would still show up from time to time. He remembered Jaune's outburst a few nights ago, as well as his own, many years before, asking Ozpin the exact same thing.  
  
"That's his choice to make. I did what I could. The rest is up to him. To them."  
  
Oscar nodded solemnly, a quite unsettling sight when it was a kid that was his niece's age. "'Very well then, I bid you goodnight'."  
  
"Night, Os. I'll come upstairs in a few. Just the time for a smoke." He laughed as Oscar grimaced, disgusted, "don't want to pollute our kids' lungs. They already have enough shit to deal with."  
  
"'Indeed they do'" Oz sighed, sadness heavy in his words. "'Sadly, they do. We can just hope they'll be more successful than we were."  
  
And he walked away, leaving Qrow alone with his thoughts and a quickly lit cigarette. He stepped outside, watching the smoke twirl and draw patterns in the air.  
  
They had lost so much in the name of justice, and there was so much more they were going to lose.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!! :D :D :D


End file.
